Florida Man Pleas Guilty To Involvement In Valdosta Bank Robbery

Many times in Jacksonville, the average individual feels that they either want something so much they cannot control that want, or they need to feed their family and have no money. However, there are alternative and legal means that might be pursued that, even though they may take longer, will yield the most benefit and have the least negative consequences.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Dylan Dougherty Stanley, the third Florida sibling involved in a multistate crime spree and manhunt last year pled guilty to federal bank robbery and firearms charges in Georgia. Stanley admitted firing shots at the ceiling of a bank in Valdosta and stealing $5,168 in August 2011.

All banks in the United States are part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over all bank robberies. In some instances, where bank robberies cross state lines, the federal government may decide to bring charges in federal court. The standards used for sentencing in bank robbery cases can are important, particularly if a gun is used. If a gun is involved, many times, mandatory penalties will be the beginning of long and tiring period in the legal system.

Jacksonville robbery arrests should result only from the accused showing, threatening, or using violence or force to achieve the robbery. Florida’s comparable armed robbery charge is the act of stealing another’s property without consent, while in the possession of some sort of weapon, such as a knife or firearm.

The sentence for an arrest and conviction for robbery may depend on the prior arrest and conviction record of the accused, the type of victim, if the victim sustained any injury, and what type of weapon was used. If a person is a convicted felon and uses a firearm during a robbery, the defendant must serve a three-year minimum sentence for possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon or adjudicated delinquent.

Regardless of prior criminal records, if one is charged with using a firearm in the commission of a felony under the 10-20-Life rule, the offender may also be looking at a ten-year-minimum-mandatory sentence. Many times in armed robberies, a shot “fired into the air” qualifies for the twenty year mandatory sentenced.

If an individual discharges a firearm during the robbery, the sentence under Florida’s 10-20-life law would be a mandatory minimum of twenty years in prison, and if a serious injury results from that discharge, the mandatory increases to twenty-five years in prison, with the possibility of life in prison.

Unfortunately for those that choose the path of theft, one can spend countless hours in legal battles, facing a very large prison sentence, and face outrageous criminal fines and restitution requirements. The amount of time spent trying to successfully complete the crime will seem wasted and in vain, as one will face a number of different legal hurdles that one may not be able to combat on one’s own. In a situation such as this, one might feel the walls closing in around one, like there is no way out.

One has one choice of relief in a situation like this. One charged with a crime of this nature should contact an experienced Jacksonville theft crimes defense attorney to fight for one’s case and ensure one’s rights and defenses are known and protected. One can either sit back and wait for the Judge to render a decision against one, or one can take charge of one’s defense and win one’s cause for freedom.

The Forbess Law Firm has been aiding clients who face criminal charges in Jacksonville for years and are here to provide aggressive criminal defense to anyone accused of a crime. If you or a loved one require a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer, contact our firm today. We are available through our website or by calling us at 904-634-0900.